


if my heart was a house (you'd be home)

by inukouga



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Established Relationship, Inuyasha's living with the tribe, Inuyasha's worried af but he's trying to hide it, Kouga knows him well enough to know he's worried lol, M/M, Post-Canon, inukog, more like a hurtfic than a sickfic lol, poor kouga, some of my personal hcs for the wolf tribe mess w canon a little but whatever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-06 19:22:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18394772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inukouga/pseuds/inukouga
Summary: "I didn't say anything about you stayin' up for me," He shuts his eyes. "But it’s good to know that you’re worried ‘bout me.”Inuyasha averts his gaze. “...’course I’m worried.”“Oh, are you?”“If you die, who else is gonna keep the rest of the pack from chasin’ me outta here?”“Ah, there he is. I was just about t’ask who you were and where the real Inuyasha was,” Kouga grins.





	if my heart was a house (you'd be home)

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to @itsalwayssunnyinmypussy on tumblr for help with the title and for being an amazing beta! also thank you to @yukiothecollielover for being an amazing second beta as well! :') okay!! so! the inukog is definitely more towards the end, but i really wanted to take the opportunity to attempt to flesh out the wolf tribe a little more and add in the headcanons i have for them (i might’ve uh, ignored canon a little..)!
> 
> my tumblr's also inukouga! feel free to please yell at me about inukog

Inuyasha rises, suddenly alert, when he detects a distinct scent in the air.

He'd know the smell of blood anywhere, and from how strong it is, there's a lot of it. What makes him rush to the entrance of the wolves’ den is the fact that it’s familiar, and dread begins to creep over him like an icy chill.

 _Kouga's_  blood.

Along with the scent, is the acrid tang of poison.

“Move it! We've got wounded!" Someone calls out from behind, and Inuyasha sees the arrival of the scouting group that had been sent out earlier in the evening. Curious about the sudden commotion, most of the tribe gathers at the den’s entrance. Once they realize the severity of the situation, some rush out to help bring the injured in and prepare the necessary accommodations. He had a feeling they were taking too long, he should've known something had gone wrong, should've gone out after them— “Someone get Chizue!” A member of the scouting group shouts.

Multiple limp wolf demons are carried in, some have their eyes shut tightly, while others are wide eyed, their abnormally dilated pupils a clear sign of shock. The stench of the poison almost overwhelms Inuyasha, and he covers his nose with the sleeve of the fire rat robe. His heart sinks when he sees Ginta frantically hauling Hakkaku in, but when he sees Kouga being carried in, blood all over him and staining the furs he wears around his waist with a red so dark that they look like they’ve been dipped in ink, it feels like he can’t  _breathe_.

There’s a tiny bit of relief when he sees Kouga’s chest rise and fall, indicating that he’s still breathing, still  _alive_. Inuyasha’s so distracted by the sight of him as some of the other wolves help Kouga, that he barely registers several sets of footsteps rapidly approaching from inside the den.

Chizue, accompanied by a pair of younger wolf demons whose names Inuyasha can’t recall at the moment, makes it to the main clearing.

“How many?" Is the first question she asks, her calm demeanor denoting centuries of experience in situations like these. She scents the air and he knows she's also taken note of the poison when her eyes narrow.

Ginta, returning from assisting Hakkaku, responds, "About five injured, three of the five were bit. Chief was one of 'em."

“I see. Has it been slain?” Inuyasha knows the healer is referring to the large serpent demon that had been lurking around the mountains for a while now. Numerous hunting groups had been sent out specifically to locate it and drive it out. However, the scouting patrol that’s arriving now had been sent out merely to take a look around the territory’s borders for any other trespassers.

“Yeah, it's dead," He says. "Kouga managed to finish it off before he collapsed."

Of  _course_  he did. Knowing Kouga, he'd most likely flung himself at the giant beast to protect the others without sparing a thought for his own well being. Inuyasha wants to be more angry at Kouga for putting himself at risk like that, he really does, but instead he feels his chest grow warm with something resembling pride. Kouga’s fierce devotion and loyalty to his tribe has always been admirable.

Chizue turns to the two young demons beside her, “Akane, Genki, go and help them get settled and treat those who are doing the most poorly. Do you two remember what I use for venom?” At their nod, she ushers them towards the healer’s chamber, a decently sized crack in the rock wall that opens up into a small cavern, hidden by hanging tendrils of lichen. “Good, now go.”

“It…” Ginta frowns, looking off to where Kouga was taken. “It bit two others, but it let 'em go right away. When it bit Chief… it held on and started to wrap itself around him. Even after Kouga killed it, it took us a while to pry it off and free him,” There’s a brief, somber pause in which they both dwell on other possible, darker outcomes and what ifs, and Inuyasha decides that he doesn’t want to be present for any of the speculation.

“I’ll go check on him,” He mutters, not bothering to check if Ginta or Chizue hear him. Inuyasha quickly scales the rock walls leading up to the leader’s chamber, and not even the typically soothing sounds of the waterfall can quell the anxiety that seems to only grow stronger as he nears his destination.

* * *

When he arrives, Kouga is stretched out on his back and lying on a pile of furs, barely conscious.

The wolf demon’s hands are almost completely covered in blood; a sign that he’d most likely tried to stave off the bleeding immediately. The scent of venom is stronger now that he’s closer to Kouga, almost dizzying in its potency, and Inuyasha’s nose wrinkles as he approaches and sits beside him.

He removes Kouga’s headband, pushes his fringe back and is immediately startled at how hot his forehead feels.

He can see a bit of the wound from where the serpent’s fangs seem to have bitten through the armor. Just from the little he’s able to see, he can tell that the poison has drastically hindered the healing process; he can even see the venom slowly eating away at the flesh near the wound. If the serpent demon hadn’t been venomous, the bite wound would’ve already been on it’s way to fully healing by now, even without Chizue’s medicinal herbs speeding it up.

Inuyasha removes the fur pauldrons first before taking off the chest armor, careful not to move Kouga around too much— despite his impatience pushing him to  _take the damn thing off already_ — and finally manages to take a look at the wound in full.

There are two large puncture wounds in Kouga’s torso, the skin around them swollen and an angry red. Underneath the smell of poison is the sour scent of decay. There’s no telling how deep the wounds are, or what the true extent of the damage is based on what’s on the surface. He has to wait for Chizue to come and take a look. For now, there’s nothing he can do.

Inuyasha hates this feeling. The feeling of  _uselessness_  that hits him as he watches Kouga’s chest slowly rise and fall accompanied by his labored breathing.

“If the venom had been more potent, it'd be looking much worse than it does now.”

Startled, he looks up and meets the gaze of the healer of the wolf tribe. Chizue makes her way over to where they are and kneels by Kouga’s other side, putting a hand on his forehead. She remains silent for a few moments, eyes darting to Kouga’s exposed wound. Inuyasha waits for her to say something, anything about Kouga’s condition, but she doesn’t say a word. Just when Inuyasha feels his patience wearing thin, she stands up.

“Come, Inuyasha,” She says, beckoning for him to get up. “I have something prepared for him.” Inuyasha hesitates, but Chizue shakes her head. “It will do you no good to simply sit here and do nothing. It will not help you, nor will it help him,” Her eyes soften. “He’ll be just fine. Come.”

Her last words make the last shreds of hesitance fade away. He gets up and follows her wordlessly, sparing Kouga one last glance before he leaves. 

* * *

“Shouldn’t you be helping them first?” Inuyasha raises a brow as he takes a look at some of the others that had been on the scouting patrol. They’re all lying on piles of animal furs, most unconscious.

Chizue sighs. “Some are indeed worse off, but traditionally the tribe leader almost always receives priority when it comes to injuries or wounds of this magnitude.” He doesn’t miss the concern in her gaze as she eyes one of the younger wolf demons that had been bitten.

Inuyasha frowns. As much as he  _wants_  for her to check on Kouga first, it’s not what Kouga would want.  _Screw tradition_ , he’d say. Inuyasha almost smiles at the thought.

“C'mon, you know that dumb wolf won't let ya near him until you've treated everyone else," Inuyasha sighs. He can already picture Kouga's stubborn resistance at Chizue helping him first. "He’ll throw a stupid tantrum like a big baby and waste your time. I'll help him. Just show me what to do."

Chizue smiles at him, equal parts amused and grateful.

“Young Kouga has always been rather headstrong, oftentimes to a fault, just like his mother, our last Chief,” The elder wolf demoness laughs and shakes her head fondly. "The wound has probably already healed a bit, but the venom is impairing the healing process, so we must do something about that first," She says, looking through the carefully organized stockpile of various natural herbs, salves, poultices and medicinal remedies stored in small nooks in the cracks running along the rock walls.

Though he’d never say it aloud, Inuyasha’s always been fascinated by how Chizue can remember where specific herbs grow and which remedies help certain ailments. She’s told him that she knows cures for even the most obscure of sicknesses, and she always asks the ancestors of the wolf tribe for their blessings after treating a patient.

_“If not for our ancestors, especially the many, many other tribe healers before me, we wouldn't have all this valuable knowledge,” He remembers her telling him one day as she organized her stockpile, taking note of what she was running low on, “Our tribe's been through difficult trials, but because of the determination of our ancestors, we persevere, thrive, and prosper, even stronger and more united than before. So, I always make sure to give them my gratitude and show them that they're not forgotten.”_

Once Chizue gathers what she needs, she kneels next to Hakkaku, and begins to carefully remove his armor to gain better access to his wounds. Inuyasha settles himself next to her, watching as Hakkaku winces when Chizue applies the medicine.

Inuyasha studies her movements carefully, trying to give her his undivided attention, though his mind occasionally drifts to Kouga. Instinctively, his hand moves to clutch the handle of Tessaiga as he recalls Kouga's groans of pain as he was hurriedly carried into the caves, and the brief glimpse Inuyasha had caught of the wound when he went to see him. He knows that if they hadn't told him that Kouga managed to slay the intruder, he would've immediately gone and sought to kill the wretched creature himself.

He’s brought out of his thoughts by the sound of Chizue grinding dried herbs with a stone and watches as she sprinkles them evenly on top of the salve she’d already applied, before bandaging it all up with scraps of cloth. Hakkaku lets out a low whimper as she finishes. Inuyasha can feel Ginta’s presence nearby. He wouldn’t be surprised if Ginta was hovering right by the entrance, worried sick for his mate.

“This should help get extract most of the venom," Chizue hands him a small clay bowl containing a poultice and a few dried herbs wrapped in a thin cloth. “Along with some lavender and echinacea to help soothe the swelling. After the venom is gone, his body will heal on its own. I’ll be sure to pray for him once I’m finished with the others.” Inuyasha doesn’t even realize he’s frowning worriedly until he feels Chizue place a warm, comforting hand on his shoulder. Briefly, as he looks into the elder demoness’ eyes, he finds himself reminded of Kaede. “He’ll be fine, Inuyasha. Kouga’s always been resilient, but you being beside him will give him even more strength to endure this.”

Thanking her with a grunt, he takes both the herbs and salve from her, idly glancing around the room to the rest of the wounded demons that were part of the scouting group.

“You've been good for him, you know," She says just as he’s getting up to leave. Surprised, he pauses, turning to look at her. "Kouga's always been rather high-spirited, but in all the time I've watched him grow up, I can’t think of a time that I've seen him as happy as he is now. I believe it all started when he began to visit you and those friends of yours," She smiles kindly. “The sudden passing of both his mother and father was devastating for both him and the entire tribe, but despite all that, he’s grown up to become a great Chief. Now though, it’s like he’s back to how he was when his parents were still with us. If his mother was alive to see him now, she would be very proud.”

Inuyasha knows that Chizue and Kouga are close, but to know that someone else in the tribe besides Ginta and Hakkaku had known about Kouga’s feelings— he averts his gaze, trying to decide if he should feel embarrassed or touched at the revelation.

“I think it’d be best if this remains between us,” Chizue winks at him conspiratorially, before she kneels down to begin tending to the young wolf demon she’d been worried about earlier. "Go on then. I know you’re very anxious to go to him. Don't let me keep you." She gestures for one of the apprentices, Akane, to sit beside her, and immediately gets to work.

He tries to come up with a response to all of that— what can he say?— but he's always had trouble with words, has always found it easier to communicate through his actions. He places a hand on her shoulder and when she looks up at him, he meets her gaze and hopes that he's able to convey how much everything she’s told him means to him.

“If ya need any help, don't be afraid to call for me, alright?” Inuyasha says over his shoulder, walking through the curtain of lichen and leaving the healer’s cavern.

* * *

 When he returns to the leader’s chamber, Kouga's up.

He’s already looking toward the entrance when Inuyasha comes in, and grins weakly when the half demon sits beside him.

“How’s everyone else?” He rasps, forgoing a greeting.

“Fine, I think. Chizue’s lookin’ at the others who were bit first. Other than that, nothin’ fatal.”

“Good,” Kouga sighs, relieved. Inuyasha smacks him on the side of his head, prompting a hiss. He holds back quite a bit though; the mangy wolf is already going through enough. “ _Ow_! The hell was that for!?”

“For bein’ dumb and not seeing her as soon as possible, that’s what!”

“I was  _unconscious_! How the hell did you expect me to go see her!?”

“You were awake when I came back, you could’ve called for someone,” He interrupts before Kouga can reply, feeling his earlier concern manifest into frustration. “...and even if you  _were_  conscious before that, you would’ve been fightin’ to be seen last,” When no denial came from the injured demon, Inuyasha scoffs. “That’s what I thought.”

“Chizue's already busy enough with everyone else. Even if I was awake, I wasn't gonna bother her when she already has a lot to do," Kouga growls.

“That poison could’ve done a lotta damage,” Inuyasha knows he’s right, and even if the stubborn wolf demon won’t admit it, Kouga knows he’s right too. Kouga opens his mouth to say something, then seems to decide against it and promptly closes it, choosing to settle on an annoyed grunt instead. Abruptly, he lets out a sharp hiss, eyes screwed shut.

“You better not die on me," Though Inuyasha’s tone is sharp, he gently nudges Kouga to get better access to his wound. "If you die under my watch I’ll be the one they’ll blame.”

Kouga laughs and shakes his head. "You're  _crazy_  if you think that pitiful excuse for a demon could finish  _me_  off.”

“It almost did,” Inuyasha mutters, trying to ignore the worry that’s still gnawing at him. “Now shut up so I can focus.”

“Well, it  _didn’t_ ,” The wolf demon retorts, then winces when Inuyasha starts to apply some of the salve. “Ow! Careful with that!”

Inuyasha rolls his eyes. “What, can’t take a little sting, Kouga? Hmph, you’re wimpier than I thought. Now shut  _up_  and hold  _still_  already.”

“Not my fault you’re puttin’ that stuff on me like a damn brute!”

“Any more comin’ from you and I'll leave ya to do it yourself!" The half demon snarls, though he does try to be more careful.

Inuyasha's brows are furrowed in concentration as he attempts to copy what the wolf tribe healer had shown him. Compared to her meticulous and skilled application, his own is hesitant and clumsy, but he’s determined. He recalls little bits and pieces he’d learned from when his mother and Kagome would patch him up in the past. In the end, it isn't perfect, but it looks close enough to what Chizue did to leave him satisfied.

He frowns, unsure. Then he decides that he'll get her to check on it later, just in case.

“You done?” Kouga asks, and when Inuyasha nods, he attempts to sit up, but fails to hold back a pained groan. Inuyasha puts both hands on Kouga's shoulders and makes him lie back down with a growl.

“Will ya stop moving, you idiot!? I didn't do all that work so you could go do something stupid and hurt yourself again!”

“Who’re you callin’ an idiot,  _idiot_?”

Inuyasha lets out an exasperated sigh. "You're so damn stubborn."

Kouga scoffs. "Oh, really? That's  _rich_ , comin' from  _you_. You're the definition of stubborn."

“Shut up and get some damn rest. Ginta’s fine and Chizue’s already taking care of Hakkaku and the others. They’re okay, now you need to stop bein’  _stupid_  and annoying and take care of  _yourself_ ,” Kouga lays back down after a moment, and Inuyasha shuts his eyes, though he remains alert in case Kouga decides to try and get up again. “ _Sleep_.”

There’s a moment of silence, in which Inuyasha thinks that Kouga actually listened to him, and then after a sigh—

“You’re the worst medic ever. At least I have somethin’ nice to look at while you’re treatin’ me,” It’s said in a low mutter so Inuyasha’s sure that Kouga hadn’t meant for him to hear it, but that doesn’t stop his face from involuntarily heating up with a blush.

He hears Kouga laugh, and immediately realizes that Kouga had  _definitely_ wanted him to hear that after all.

* * *

Inuyasha’s not too sure how much time passes while he’s sitting with Kouga, but judging from the lack of sound coming from the rest of the den, he figures that the tribe had decided to turn in early for the night as a result of what happened to the scouting patrol. He finds the rare silence unsettling.

“You don't have to stay up, y'know."

Inuyasha opens his eyes to look at Kouga, who's staring right back.

“Tch, I'm not staying up for you, fleabag,” He retorts, though he knows he's trying to convince himself as much as he's trying to convince the wolf demon. "I'm just not tired. Go back to sleep so I can have some peace and quiet again." Of course, Inuyasha doesn’t really want Kouga to go back to sleep. He’s pretty sure Kouga knows this, too.

Kouga smirks, mischievous and teasing. "I didn't say anything about you stayin' up for  _me_ ," He shuts his eyes. "But it’s good to know that you’re worried ‘bout me.”

Inuyasha averts his gaze. “...’course I’m worried.”

“Oh, are you?”

“If you die, who else is gonna keep the rest of the pack from chasin’ me outta here?”

“Ah, there he is. I was just about t’ask who you were and where the real Inuyasha was,” Kouga grins. “—and c’mon, the tribe is warming up to you, Chizue, Ginta and Hakkaku already really like you. Not to the mention the younger wolves,” He chuckles, though it’s more of a light wheezing sound. “Didn’t know you had such a way with kids.”

“Ginta and Hakkaku don’t count. They’d light their asses on fire if ya told ‘em to,” Kouga laughs and Inuyasha can’t help but chuckle. “—and those brats… no matter what I do and what I tell ‘em, they won’t stop followin’ me around.”

“They like your stories, I think.”

He likes telling them stories too, and though he’s never admitted it— and doesn’t think he will anytime soon— he’s pretty sure Kouga knows.

For the hundredth time, he realizes that there are lots of things Kouga just  _knows_  about Inuyasha. Things about him as well as things important to him that Kouga’s paid attention to and kept in his mind because he thinks they’re significant enough to remember.

Also for the hundredth time, this realization makes his heart pound faster in an almost dizzying blend of awe and happiness that he masks with a grunt.

“Chizue… the old hag’s fine, I guess. Anyone that can keep  _you_  in line is more than okay in my book.”

“That she does,” Kouga says, and Inuyasha can hear the affection in his voice as he talks about her. “Don’t let her hear you call her a hag, though. Old woman is scarier than anything when she’s mad. She may be a healer, but she can become deadly in the blink of an eye.”

Inuyasha knows. He hasn’t been on the receiving end of Chizue’s wrath, but he’s witnessed it enough to know that he  _never_  wants to be.

“Anyway, give it some time or whatever, they’ll get used to ya. If they don’t, then they’ll just have to get over it. Anyone tries to chase you out, they’ll have to get through me first.”

He doesn’t even try to hide the smile on his face that forms as a result of that statement.

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah, and they’d have to get through Ginta and Hakkaku and  _Chizue_  too,” Kouga says, eyes bright with mirth. “—and no one wants to do  _that_.” Inuyasha chuckles, almost missing the way Kouga’s eyes soften. “So they’re just gonna have to deal if they don’t want an angry tribe healer on their hands.”

“Yeah, ‘cause out of all you, Chizue’s the only real threat.” Kouga laughs and gives Inuyasha a playful nudge. 

There’s a comfortable silence, and Inuyasha closes his eyes, focusing on the comforting sounds of the waterfall. After a while, thinking Kouga’s fallen asleep, he opens his eyes to make sure, only to see Kouga looking straight at him, a dopey grin on his face. He mutters a curse when he feels his face flush at the attention.

Then, a vivid image of what Kouga had looked like when they’d first brought him in, bloody and barely breathing, flashes in his mind and he knows he won’t be able to keep himself from not bringing it up tonight.

“Kouga, don't be so damn reckless next time. You’re the leader and all that, I get it, but ya can’t just do  _that_ ,” There’s a fear inside him that’s almost suffocating. “You can’t just— you—” He takes a shaky breath, trying to remain composed.

“Hey.”

Inuyasha blinks and looks into warm blue eyes at Kouga’s voice, then at the hand on his knee.

“Look, I’m  _okay_ ,” Kouga murmurs, a hint of fondness in his tone. “I’m all patched up and I’m already feelin’ better. Go to sleep, Inuyasha.” He pats the space next to him, closing his eyes. There’s a beat of silence, and then, “Seriously though, your creepy staring is starting to freak me the hell out. Won’t be able to get a wink of sleep with you lookin’ at me like that.”

“I wasn’t  _starin_ ’,” Inuyasha protests half-heartedly, already feeling himself become calmer. The warmth of Kouga’s hand is an anchor, and he lets himself be grounded. He lays down on the pile of furs, and settles close to Kouga, mindful of his wound. “Next time, I'm going with you so you don't get yourself into trouble. Figures you can’t do anything without me—“

“Sleep,” Koga mumbles. .

“‘M not tired,” Inuyasha says, then he yawns, and he doesn’t have to look at Kouga to know that he’s smirking. “Jerk.”

Inuyasha falls asleep a little while later, lulled by the sound of Kouga’s steady snores and his familiar scent, and for the hundredth time, it feels like he’s coming home.


End file.
